


He Drives Me Crazy

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Best Friends, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gift Fic, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2015-09-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 04:03:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4732157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Kalos League, Ash returns to Kanto and decides to visit his old friend Misty at the Cerulean Gym. She isn’t feeling well, so he decides to help out and old feelings arise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Drives Me Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally posted on tumblr in July as a gift to my friend.

The gym was rewarding, but it was very hard work.

Misty loved being gym leader, but it did leave her feeling tired and some days, she just didn’t feel in the mood for challengers. Today was one of those days.

She had been up with Psyduck all night, as he had been sick and decided that she would simply close the gym due to illness and take a nice long rest… but she had lots of cleaning and sorting to do… she could never catch a break.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Go away!” she yelled.

The knocking didn’t stop.

 

“Didn’t you hear me?”

Knock, knock.

“I said, the gym is closed! Come back tomorrow!”

Knock.

“Fine, I’ll answer it!” she stormed forward and flew the door open.

“Wh-”

She stopped when she realised who it was.

He looked different. Older.

But it was undeniably him.

“A… Ash?”

 

“Hi Mist!” he waved.

“What are you doing here.”

“Well, I was around and I thought I’d visit my best friend!”

“Pikachu-Pi” Pikachu called out smiling, perched on Ash’s shoulder as per usual.

Misty blushed at Ash’s comment.

“Co… come in!”

Misty couldn’t believe Ash was here. She hadn’t seen him in years, not since that incident with the Mirage Pokémon.

“Woah, Mist! You’ve done up the gym… fancy!”

“Uh… thanks. So, Ash… how have you been?!”

“Good. I’m just back from Kalos. I came second in the League-second!”

“Wow, that’s really good!”

“Thanks.”

Misty really did think it was great. She remembered the boy she first met, who could barely control his Pikachu. Now he was runner-up in a League in a far off region.

“What was Kalos like?”

“It was cool. Lots of neat Pokémon.”

Of course, that was Ash. Always thinking of Pokémon.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Kalos-it sound beautiful.”

“I wish you’d been there, Misty.”

Misty thought her face couldn’t get any hotter.

“Mist… I heard you saying the gym was closed, what’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing… Psyduck’s sick.”

“What?!?” Ash became fully alert when he heard that a Pokémon was sick.

“Oh, it’s nothing, he’ll be fine… it’s just, I was up all night and I’m so tired.” She yawned.

“Why don’t ya’ go to sleep.”

“Oh, I can’t I have lots of work to do. That’s why I can’t take on any challengers today…”

“Why don’t I help?”

“What?”

“Yeah! Tell me what you need done and I’ll do it!”

“Ash… I’m not sure… it’s a lot of responsibility.”

“What!” he yelled, getting angry, “Do you not trust me? I’m not a little kid, Misty!”

“Hmm….” she paused thinking, “All right. But if you set the gym on fire…”

“I won’t set the gym on fire!”

She stuck her tongue out, “Just teasing!”

Misty wrote him a list of what needed done, before going to bed. Tracey was coming over to do some handy work, but Ash still had to clean up, feed the Pokémon and check Psyduck, among other things.

“Ugh, being a gym leader is a lot less fun then I thought it would be…”

Ash decided to feed the Pokémon first, getting Pikachu to help carry the food. He then went to check on Psyduck, who was happy to see him, and give him some medicine.

He was on his hands and knees scrubbing the floor in the lobby, when the door flew open.

“Ash!”

“Oh, hey Tracey.”

“I didn’t know you were coming here.”

Ash shrugged.

“Your Pokémon are fine by the way, the Professor got me to check on them before I left.”

“Thanks!”

“What are you doing?” Tracey asked, confused.

“Ooh! Misty wasn’t feeling too good, so I offered to help out.”

“Ash Ketchum, cleaning. I never thought I’d see the day.” Tracey grinned. Ash glared at him.  
“Well, I have some work to do. See you later!” Tracey ran deep into the gym.

About an hour later, Ash was finished.

“I think we did a pretty good job, Pikachu!”

“Pikapi!”

Just then Misty walked down the stairs.

“Oh, hey Mist!”

“Ash… I forgot you were here.”

I thought I dreamed it.

“You forgot your best friend?” Ash began pretend crying.

“Ash used Fake Tears-it had no effect!” Misty laughed. She stopped and looked around. “Wow Ash, you actually did a real good job.”

“See, I told ya’,” he beamed, “and I didn’t burn anything!”

Just then, Tracey walked out, holding his toolbox.

“Oh Misty, you’re awake.”

“Tracey, I didn’t know you were here!”

“Yeah, I came about an hour ago. I had a look at the wall and I think I’ll need more supplies to fix it. I’ll come back in the next few days.”

“Okay, just give me a call when you do.”

“Great. I better go now, bye Misty, bye Ash!”

“See ya’ later Tracey!” Ash waved.

“Bye!”

When the door was closed, Ash turned back to face Misty.

“Does Tracey come around here a lot?” Ash said, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“Yeah, to do repairs and stuff. Why?”

“Oh… just wondering…” he paused for a moment, “Hey Mist, you didn’t get that much sleep.”

“No… I got like an hour then woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep again, so I decided to come done. I feel a bit better though.”

“That’s great! Psyduck still seems pretty sick… I hope he gets better!”

Misty smiled, “I’m sure he will, it’s just a stomach bug.”

“Hey Mist, I’ve got something to ask you.” Ash said, running his hand through his hair.

“What?”

“So, when I came back my Mom got me new clothes, right?”

Misty nodded. The outfit he was wearing was similar to the one he wore travelling with her but in red.

“And you’ve noticed that I haven’t got a cap, right?”

Misty once again nodded. She had noticed and it was jarring to say the least.

“Well, I decided that I wanted to wear my Pokémon League Cap again and asked my Mom where it was and she said you had it!”

Misty flinched. Delia had given Misty Ash’s cap as a gift a while ago and she was embarrassed that Ash knew. What would he think.

“I always knew you where jealous of that cap. Did you take it for yourself?” he asked, grinning.

Of course.  
“Well, anyway, the reason I decided to call around was to get it back!”

 

“W… what?” Misty suddenly felt a sudden, rather unreasonable anger come over her. He only came around to get his stupid hat, he didn’t want to see me.

“Misty, are you okay? You look kinda mad.”

“Mad?” she yelled, “Mad? I’m pissed!”

“Why?”

She answered, her anger replaced with a grim sadness, “I… I thought you wanted to see me… I thought you wanted to see me!”

Ash looked shocked, but it was quickly replaced by laughter.

Is he laughing at me? Oh, he probably thinks I’m stupid for thinking he wanted to see me.

“Misty… that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Yep. Misty felt her heart shatter into a million little pieces.

“Of course I wanted to see you!”

“Re… really?”

“Yeah, I was gonna come visit you anyway, the hat was just a bonus.”

“You actually wanted to see me?”

“Why wouldn’t I? You’re my best friend!”

Misty felt the butterflies in her stomach. She had long since given up on denying her crush on Ash to herself, although she would never admit to anyone else.

She was so happy that he was here and that he wanted to see her!

“Thanks Ash… that’s… that’s sweet! And I have got the cap, let me run up and get it!”

“Thanks Mist!”

A while later, Ash and Misty where sitting in Misty’s living room talking.

“So, then he asked you out?!”

“Yeah, it was so embarrassing! Casey wouldn’t stoop teasing.”

“What did you do.”

“I turned him done. Said there was someone else.”

“Well, is there? Who is it? Tracey? Brock?”

“Ew no! It’s none of your business Ketchum.”

“Mist’s got a crush! “Misty’s got a crush!” Ash singsonged.

“Shut up, you little…”

“Little what?”

“Nothing. You are little though!” she mocked, referring to Ash’s rather short stature.

“Shut up!” he yelled, blushing.

Misty laughed.

“So, being a gym leader certainly sounds like…. an experience.”

“Oh it is. It’s rewarding though.”

“I’d say so.”

“So, Ash how was the League?”

“Oh… it was good,” he said, sounding rather unenthusiastic.

“Second, wow! What an accomplishment!”

“Yeah…”

“Ash,” she said, noticing that he suddenly seemed rather distant, “Is something wrong?”

“No! Everything’s fine!” he said, very unconvincingly.

“Ash Ketchum, I’ve known you for six years, I know that you’re lying. Tell me the truth.”

“I’m a failure!” he yelled suddenly.

She paused, shocked. “What do you mean?”

“Six years, Misty, six years, I’ve been trying to become a Pokémon Master and I keep losing.”

“…Ash,” she was shocked. Ash never got this bogged down on his losses.

“Will I ever be a Champion?”

“Ash, how old are you?”

“Sixteen.”

“And how old was the guy who beat you?”

“Girl. And she was 23, I think.”

“See? She was older than you! You’re only sixteen, and you came second. That’s amazing. Let me tell you, Ketchum, you will be a champion! You never give up and you have such a way with Pokémon. Besides you did win the Orange League.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Mark my words, you will be a Pokémon Master.

She expected him to stand up and give out a fiery cry of Yeah, I will be a Master! But instead he said “Thanks, Mist.”

“You’re welcome!” she smiled.

“Hey, Mist… I… I miss travelling with you.”

She looked at him, surprised.

He really does care.

“I miss travelling with you too Ash.”

The two of them looked at each other silently for a moment before they were interrupted by a loud “Love-birds!”

“Daisy!” Misty screamed, jumping out her seat jumping.

“It’s… like… so obvious you like each other.”

“No we don’t! I wouldn’t date Ash if he was the last man on the planet!”

Lies, lies.

“Yeah, sure.” Daisy said sarcastically.

“What are you doing here anyway Daisy. I thought you were at that photoshoot in Saffron?”

“Oh, I was, but I left early. I’m going to Viridian and I dropped in to like, get my stuff, only to find you are your little boyfriend making kissy faces at each other.”

Misty glared and Ash looked on, wide eyed.

“Well, I better get going now. Bye!” Daisy ran out before Misty could say anything else.

They room was filled with an awkward silence until Ash said, “Look at the time! We better get going!”

Pikachu, who had been sitting curled up on the sofa beside Ash jumped on until his usual spot on his trainers shoulder.

“Ash, wait! Am I going to see you again?” Misty knew of Ash’s habit to run out on new journeys as soon as possible.

“Yeah sure, I’ll be ‘round tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Misty was shocked.

“Yeah! I’ve decided to stay in Kanto for at least a couple of weeks, rest, ya’ know?”

Ash, resting? That was a first.

“I’ll come and visit you all the time! Tomorrow I’ll fly out on Charizard!”

Misty looked at Ash for a moment. Ash, staying in Kanto for more than a day or two? Visiting her all the time? She was shocked. Shocked and over the moon. She would get to see Ash all the time!

“That’ll be great! Tracey told me about Charizard being back in the lab, I’d love to see him again.”

“Great! I’ll call 'round tomorrow around noon. Got to go now. See ya’ Misty!”

“Pikachu-Pi!”

“Bye Ash, bye Pikachu!” she waved, as Ash and Pikachu made there way out of the gym.

Misty walked out to the pool and sat down, letting her feet dangle in the water.

Ash was going to visit her tomorrow and she couldn’t be more happy. But she couldn’t help but think back to her conversation with Daisy earlier.

She liked him so much and Daisy knew it. Tracey and Delia probably knew too. But she would never admit it, least of all to Ash. He would never like her.

She thought that perhaps she heard a hint of jealousy in his voice when they were taking about Georgio, but she was probably just imagining it.

She had had this crush for years and it wasn’t going away. After seeing him again, older, it was just getting stronger. It wasn’t just a crush, she loved him and she would probably never be with him.

She sighed and stood up, figuring there was no point in getting herself upset over a silly boy. She had more important things to do.

She looked at the clock on the wall, it was probably time to check on Psyduck again.

“Ash Ketchum, what am I going to do with you? You drive me crazy!”

Little did Misty know that as Ash was walking home, he was having his own, similar thoughts.

“It was great seeing Misty again, wasn’t it, Pikachu?”

“Pikachu-Pi!”

“I missed her a lot.”

Pikachu, nodded.

“You know Pikachu, I was thinking it over and I think I like her, you know?”

Pikachu grinned.

“But she likes someone else, she could never like me!”

Pikachu rolled his eyes.

They’d figure it out someday

After all, he was her burden.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! This one was fun to write, AAML is my childhood OTP.


End file.
